Herbert Burns

Herbert Burns is a Brazilian mixed martial artist born in 1988 who emerged from a jiu-jitsu dynasty: both his older brothers, Gilbert and Frederick, are black belts, and the family's grappling credentials run deep. After building a 5-2 record in ONE Championship and winning his way onto the UFC roster via Dana White's Contender Series in 2019, Burns made an explosive first impression with a first-round knockout of Nate Landwehr at UFC Fight Night: Blaydes vs. dos Santos, earning Performance of the Night honors. He followed that with another submission finish over Evan Dunham at UFC 250, signaling the arrival of a submission-savvy prospect.

However, Burns has struggled to maintain that momentum. A first-round submission specialist with excellent jiu-jitsu credentials, his striking defense has proven vulnerable to opponents with heavier hands and better boxing. He lost to Daniel Pineda via TKO in the second round of UFC 252 in 2020, and his fortunes have only worsened since: losses to Bill Algeo (2022), Julio Arce (2024), and Jack Jenkins (2024) have been punctuated by TKO finishes that left little ambiguity about the mismatch. By October 2024, the UFC had removed him from their roster, bringing an end to his tenure with the organization.

Burns fights as a technician and submission hunter, relying on rear-naked choke attempts and triangle chokes to finish opponents rather than grinding out decisions. When he can get fights to the ground or secure positions early, his black-belt pedigree shines. But at featherweight in the UFC, where striking is a required skill and distance management is crucial, his inability to keep strikers at bay has proven to be his Achilles heel. His story serves as a cautionary tale: even standout submission artists and family pedigree cannot overcome fundamental gaps in striking defense at the elite level.